Playground Pasts
by Blousey
Summary: Quinn was Rachel's childhood savior, but as they grow up, Rachel can't shake the need for something more. Faberry. Multi-chapter.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything but the words.

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Dave Karofsky had been a jerk since he could walk. He constantly picked on anyone smaller than him, and he was never afraid to demoralize others (not that he knew what the word demoralize meant). Usually, however, he was smart enough to not to pick on the girls. More often than not, he decided whether or not he'd taunt a girl base on her size and reputation. And when it came to Rachel, both her size and reputation were considerably small.

The day in 3rd grade that Rachel was meant to present her item for Show and Tell, she approached the front of the class empty-handed. People snickered and joked that she probably didn't own anything worth showing. Those who sat near enough to a certain blonde were silenced with a kick to the shins. No one could ever figure out who the culprit was, not even when they were all grown. The teacher shushed the class and attempted to ask Rachel about her "situation," pity clearly written across her face.

The small brunette held out one finger, meaning to momentarily halt the teacher's speech. It worked. She faced her peers and spoke. "Today I was going to bring one of my autographed photos of various stars, primarily in the musical genre, but I realized it would be better to preserve it at home, which would prevent your grimy fingers from causing it to be worth significantly less. I—"

The teacher cut her off. "Rachel," she began. She explained that it was for the best that Rachel not present that day because there wasn't much she could do to explain a photo and a signature. Rachel protested, claiming that she was well capable of doing so, but she sat down as the teacher would not have any of it.

Rachel would have thought it stupid if she didn't believe it to be an inane word to use.

Later that day, Rachel was eating next to Tina Cohen-Chang, but no words were exchanged. Still, Rachel was happy to not being sitting alone for once, especially when she caught Quinn across the room with a look of disgust plastered to her face. Ever perceptive, even as a child, Rachel noticed the way the expression faltered before the blonde turned back to her friends.

Once lunch was finished, they were released to recess. Rachel was alone. She most often took to the swings, but they were all taken by the older kids who were unwilling to give them up. So she settled on idly standing by the empty monkey bars, shifting her weight occasionally. It was evident that she may as well have been invisible, if the number of times she was bumped into or stepped on was anything to go by. Not too long into their release to play outside, Dave Karofsky approached her. She averted her gaze to the ground. Maybe if she pretended that he wasn't there, he would ignore her. Maybe he would just step on her like everybody else. Yeah, good plan.

She thought it worked for a while, because she had her eyes glued to the sand and Dave was not interacting with her. "So, why didn't you bring anything today, huh, shrimp?" He pushed at her shoulders a bit.

_Shoot._ "I explained it at the beginning of class. At least, I tried to. Had our teacher had the respect to allow me finish, you would have opened your eyes just enough to see what unfortunate human beings we live among, hence why I refused t—"

"Shut up, loser," he retorted in the middle of her sentence. With a sneer, he shoved little Rachel to the ground and laughed. Rachel gasped and look up with tears in her eyes, surveying the crowd of people that had not been there when Karofsky had first came over to her. She tried extremely hard to not to cry, but it was difficult.

She ended up losing the battle with her eyes as the tears streamed and she wiped at them roughly with her sandy sleeves. It only made her eyes hurt and water more. She glanced around nervously for someone, anyone, to save her form this. Her eyes landed on a single blonde girl sitting on the jungle gym, legs dangling over the edge. She was not with her stuck-up friends, but she was perched on the plastic platform alone, suspended in the air not too far from Rachel. Quinn stared. Rachel stared back, truly frightened. Did she really not care at all? Was that look Rachel saw in the cafeteria just a fluke? She had no clue anymore.

She turned her attention back to the group of kids in front of her after holding Quinn's gaze for a good minute or so. She still felt Quinn's eyes as they bore a hole in the side of her head. To Rachel's relief, the children had scattered. She pulled her legs in tight, folded underneath herself. The sand hurt her legs and she had sand in her skirt. It felt _awful_. Rachel self-consciously shifted to look back at Quinn, but the blonde was gone.

The tiny brunette stood and dusted herself off as best as she could before retreating to the bathroom. When she entered, another girl was in there, just sitting in the corner. Rachel shook her head and proceed into the stall; she wasn't about to ask Quinn why she was somberly sitting alone in a dirty bathroom. Rachel did the best she could to empty out all the sand. Quinn's presence was a little unnerving though. She didn't expect Quinn to peek into the stall or anything, but Rachel was horribly embarrassed about what happened only moments ago.

The bell rang, signaling that it was time to line up. Rachel whimpered and sniffled, trying to keep her tears in. She'd never had to zip this skirt up alone before; her dad's always helped her at home, and she never used the school bathrooms because they were filthy. And now the bell had gone off and she could get her skirt to stay on. She bent down onto her knees, and look under the stall door. Quinn's feet were near the sinks and the water was running. She wasn't alone.

"Q-Quinn?" Rachel was hesitant in even speaking to the girl, but she had already lost so much today. What was a little more?

"What?" Quinn's voice was surprisingly normal. She wasn't yelling or spitting the words at her. Her tone was simply casual.

"Can… Okay, I come out of the stall, will you help me? Please, I don't want to be late. I can't get in anymore trouble today."

"Yes."

Rachel faltered for a moment. She had expected Quinn to ask why or what she would be entitled to help with. "Okay," she breathed. She unlocked the plastic door and opened it, clutching the skirt around her hips with one hand.

Quinn eyed her as she opened the door. Rachel wasn't able to tell what Quinn was thinking, not by the look on her face. It was oddly blank. The blonde gestured for Rachel to come closer. She obeyed.

"Turn around." Rachel complied with her instruction. Quinn lifted the back of Rachel's sweater, brushing some sand off the smaller girl's back in the process, and zipped up the skirt. "There."

Rachel stood still and muttered, "Thank you, Quinn."

"You're welcome." Quinn grabbed Rachel's hand and pulled her towards the door. If they didn't hustle, they would be tardy. Quinn dropped Rachel's hand the moment they left the bathroom and took off towards the teachers, leaving Rachel behind.

Luckily, Rachel still made it in time, albeit at her own, non-athletic pace.

In 5th grade, people, began to understand what it meant to be gay. And everyone knew about Rachel's fathers. Everyone knew and their parents knew and they told their children about how disgraceful it was. They believed that God believed it was wrong. Rachel never understood their hate. Everyone is entitled to the right to pursue happiness, so why did they think that didn't apply to her fathers? If God was so against homosexuals, why did he create them? It didn't make sense to Rachel, and Rachel went by her simple logic and understanding.

Quinn hardly spoke to her, but the blonde was always there to pick up the pieces after Rachel was humiliated. It seemed like a coincidence the first few times, but really, how many times can it be coincidence in a matter of two years and counting? Rachel never suggested anything, nor did she ever push for answers. Someone taking the time to help her just a bit was all she could ask for, even if that person was Quinn.

After a particularly nasty case of bullying, Rachel retreated to the restroom like she always did. Once again, Quinn was there. Rachel found no strength to move. It was horrible. They had thrown her down repeatedly, yelled at her for having gay fathers, called her an abomination, said they wished she was never born, kicked sand at her, and took jabs at her. She finally gave up in trying to fight back, taking her position in the sand like usual. The group dispersed about as soon as they had come. Rachel felt dirty, worthless, and defeated. She took a chance and looked up. Quinn's eyes were glued to her and Rachel could do nothing but stare back helplessly. It was devastating and embarrassing, especially the way the sand got into every nook and cranny of her clothing, making it increasingly painful to get out.

Rachel averted her gaze from Quinn but found she was unable to move when that was all she wanted to do. Quinn unfolded her arms and stood. She made her way over to Rachel and wrapped her arms around the small girl, holding the brunette as she cried. Quinn was gentle when Rachel was hurt. She was gentle with her speech and her hands. Small bruises and cuts decorated her body, some with sand ingrained into them. It hurt her just to watch the way Rachel reacted, but Quinn had always been there when Rachel needed her. She just never stepped in. It made her feel like a coward not to do anything to help the girl, but in the end, Rachel would cry in the bathroom and Quinn would let her soak her shirt with her tears. It was a ridiculously pitiful pattern, considering what it sprang from, but Quinn couldn't help it. She was as helpless as Rachel was. To Quinn, something felt right when she was holding Rachel and rubbing her back soothingly. It was strange; however, if anyone else were to hug Rachel and comfort her and wipe her tears, Quinn would cause them bodily harm. It was just a fact.

"I'm stupid. I'm worthless," Rachel sobbed into Quinn's shoulder. After so much bullying, it was only plausible that it stick eventually.

"No. No, you're not, Rachel." The brunette shook her head furiously against Quinn. "Rachel, look at me." The girl refused, pulling away and turning her head to the side. "Rachel." Quinn gripped the brunette's wrist with one hand and her face with another. "I said look at me." The blonde let go carefully when Rachel listened and kept her focus on Quinn. "You are _not_ worthless, no matter what they say. _They're_ stupid. _They're_ worthless. Not you. You're amazing. You're special, Rachel."

"No, I'm not," the brunette choked out, clinging to Quinn in a tight embrace once more.

"Hey," Quinn whispered, lifting Rachel's face to meet her eyes. "You're gonna be a star, Rach. Remember?" She turned the girl around, wrapping one hand around her waist, and made a flourish with her hand. "You're name is going to be in huge, big, bright lights on the tallest building in all of New York City. And you're going to be in the best shows and make loads of money and just be awesome. Okay?"

The gestures and words made Rachel smile and laugh. "Okay. Thank you, Quinn," she murmured as she snuggled up against the blonde again.

"You're welcome." She stroked Rachel's hair absently as she rubbed Rachel's back to calm her down some more.

"Quinn?"

"Hm."

Rachel swallowed and whispered, "Why do you never stop them?"

Quinn froze momentarily, not sure how to explain it to Rachel. "I'll stop them next time, okay?"

Before Rachel could answer, the bell rang, and Quinn shot out of the restroom like a bullet out of its barrel.

What was she supposed to say? That she never did anything because it meant Rachel always came crawling back to her afterwards? Yeah, _that_ would go over well.

Later on in their 5th grade year, Quinn got a boyfriend. His name was Finn, and he was very sweet. He was sort of dim-witted, but he tried to be charming, and he surely meant good in everything he did. He was a gentleman.

Unfortunately for Rachel, Quinn no longer paid her any attention, not even when she was being pushed around and bullied. Rachel cried endlessly the day she had sand in her skirt and no way to zip it up because it was one of the ones that were difficult for her. She consequently missed class and, Quinn, having the same teacher, noticed her absence. And then she realized why Rachel was gone, or why she figured. She had worn one of those skirts that day.

"Shoot," she hissed under her breath, hand going up in blatant disregard of the fact that her teacher was speaking at the time.

"Are you okay, Quinn?" Finn look at her worriedly.

"I'm fine, idiot," she snapped.

The teacher called on Quinn, "Yes? Quinn."

"I'm going to the bathroom." And just like that, she stormed out. No explanations, no questions, nothing but her statement, followed by her exit.

She ran down the halls quickly, not caring that she didn't grab the bathroom pass or sign out. She simply ran as fast as her legs could go, and she burst into the bathroom, crying out, "Rachel!" Quinn knew Rachel would be the only one there, so she banged on the one stall that was closed.

Rachel jumped from the loud noises. She had started to nod off a bit, being left in the bathroom for so long. "Q-Quinn?"

"No, it's Santa Clause! Yes, it's me. Open the door!"

"I—" Rachel looked down at her hands, ashamed that, even as a 5th grader, she still was unable to zip all of her skirts on her own.

"Rachel," Quinn pleaded, her voice sounding almost desperate. "I'm sorry! I—" She furrowed her brow and reminded herself to give Finn a speech about not helping out when Rachel was being bullied. It would be hypocritical, but Quinn didn't know that word and doing that felt safe. "Dang it," she muttered, leaning her forehead against the door. "Rach, I'm sorry. I didn't—" Quinn had no idea how to fix this.

"You weren't there. You weren't there last week when it happened either. You have always been there, but you weren't there, Quinn. I—I needed you. I still need you," she confided, trailing off near the end.

"Rachel, open the door," she pleaded. "Please."

"I can't do… my skirt," Rachel admitted, tears making their way down her cheeks.

"I know, Rach. I know. That's why I—I know, okay? Open up."

Reluctantly, Rachel stood, clenched her skirt in one hand, and opened the door with her free hand. She couldn't meet Quinn's gaze.

"Turn around," Quinn prompted gently, sounding like she had when this whole messed up routine started two years ago.

"You didn't do a very good job of getting the sand off," Quinn noted as she brushed a multitude of it off the girl's body.

"I didn't feel like it."

"Sorry."

"You weren't there. You said you would make it stop, Quinn. You said you would get rid of all my pain. I trusted you."

"I know, and I'm- Don't cry! Aww, no! Don't cry! Rach, Rach, come on. I'm sorry, don't cry. Stop crying, s-stop, Rach…" Quinn tried to wipe at Rachel's tears but only ended up crying herself her own river.

Rachel wrapped her arms around Quinn and sobbed endlessly, not sure what to do but content being in Quinn's arms.

In 6th grade, Quinn Fabray learned the "F-word" and realized it had consequences, but it was a trend and she thought it made her seem bad-ass, so she used it now and then.

For a few weeks, everything seemed fine. Quinn and Finn were still together, even though they never went anywhere. They just held hands and sometimes hugged and hang out together, both their groups of friends merging. It wasn't like a real relationship where they went out and did stuff together. Quinn didn't really ask Rachel, nor did the blonde notice it, but it was one more relationship than she had.

Eventually, as both Rachel and Quinn figured was inevitable, the bullying started back up again.

Quinn was there the first time, much to Rachel's relief. Karofsky and some guy named Azimio or something were up to harassing Rachel because they obviously had no life. Quinn figured Finn wouldn't be back for a good twenty minutes, so she stood up for Rachel.

"Hey, jerks," Quinn spit out, shoving herself in front of the boys before they could lay a finger on Rachel. "Why don't you get out of here if you know what's good for you?" She set her hands on her hips, daring them to try something.

Dave was stupid enough to lunge for Rachel. Quinn jumped, but she was recovered enough to shove him out of the way, albeit with trouble because he was still pretty big as a 6th grader. "Really, Karofsky? Get out of here before I kick your ass," she growled, kicking sand in his face. Rachel shifted behind her. Violence against violence sort of frightened Rachel, but she was too afraid of running off, so she stayed behind Quinn obediently.

He scrambled to his feet, but Quinn swung a fist before he could. She hit him in the face pretty hard, enough for him to stumble onto the ground again. "Go, Karofsky! Get the _fuck_ out of here!" Quinn lunged forward to hit him again, but small arms wrapped around her waist, and that was enough to snap her back into reality. She realized what she had said and froze. She hadn't meant to say that, but she did. All the kids scattered quickly; Quinn guessed they were going to rat her out to a teacher for what she said. Karofsky was up and running in no time, and Quinn sighed as soon as everyone was gone. "I shouldn't have said that," she muttered, chastising herself.

"It's not your fault, Quinn."

"Yes, it is." Quinn pulled Rachel by the hand into the bathroom where they would usually meet after Rachel was bullied. Quinn didn't realize that Rachel would have obliged and followed if Quinn had simply asked her to; she didn't need to be dragged. However, it was beginning to sink in that they might not ever meet up there again.

"No, it's not. You kept your promise, and that's what is most important."

"Right." Rachel smiled up at Quinn and the blonde shifted slightly to avoid looking at her. "Look, Rachel. I need to tell you something, okay?"

"Okay."

"I can't do this anymore."

"Do what?"

"This," Quinn said, gesturing to the entire bathroom as well as the two of them.

"Oh," Rachel whispered, clearly defeated. "What if-?" She was referring to her wardrobe malfunctions on days like these but had no real way to voice it confidently.

"I'll still fight for you. I promise." Quinn lifted a hand to cup Rachel's cheek with a smile. "Okay?"

Rachel nodded.

"Come here." Rachel stepped forward as Quinn enveloped her in a tight hug. After a few moments, she let go. "See you around." With a forced smile, Quinn made her way out of the bathroom.

That night, Rachel cried herself to sleep from the blunt force that she had no chance at anything with Quinn.

In 8th grade, after nearly two years of no contact, Quinn approached Rachel in tears. They stood awkwardly in the hallway for a few minutes before Quinn's pride took over as she pulled them into an empty bathroom.

"Finn broke up with me," she sniffled.

"Why?"

"I don't know! Something about Tommy flirting with me, but Mrs. Jamison made us be partners, so it's not like either of us had a choice! He's being so stupid!" Quinn rolled her eyes, wiping at them with the back of her hand.

Rachel wasn't sure why, but she was obviously not as sympathetic for Quinn as she should be. She was actually slightly happy, which was sort of a bad way to feel when one of her favorite people was just broken up with. "I'm sorry," she finally said, not sure if she really was sorry or not. She took one look at Quinn and decided she was _not_ sorry that Quinn was single again for the first time since 5th grade.

"I don't know what to do, Rachel," she choked out, clinging to the brunette in a strange embrace.

Rachel felt a strange twist in her stomach, but she ignored it and held Quinn as she cried, not caring that they would be late for class.

From that day on, Rachel never questioned why she felt relieved whenever Quinn dumped someone or was broken up with. Even when she felt like a pawn that Quinn only used when it was convenient for her.

8th grade year was coming to a close. Rachel was in choir and the school's cheap theatre program. Quinn was on the cheer team, which was fairly average and could place now and then. They were supposed to consider their electives for high school and start filling out the applications and forms.

Rachel and Quinn had each chosen Honors courses, but neither girl was aware. In the two years since Quinn had used the 'f-word' for the first time, the two girls had grown apart. Quinn always managed to find Rachel and drag her around when she was upset, but they weren't on civil speaking terms. Things were strained because Quinn was changing.

Rachel chalked it up to a new attitude so that people would like her in high school. As much as she wanted to believe that, Quinn's now-icy stares and harsh words conveyed anything but. It hurt, more than Rachel could truly understand, but the brunette simply went about her life. She looked up and stared at the ceiling when things became hard to bear, always imagining Quinn would be sitting up on the ledge of the jungle gym again, her silent savior.

Rachel was sure Quinn didn't notice, but she began to wear skirts she knew she could zip up by herself. It was kind of childish; she was in 8th grade now. She should be able to zip herself up just fine. But the scars of her rough childhood ran deep, forever scared of losing Quinn and being unable to go to class should history decide to repeat itself. The strange, quick looks and held stares from Quinn did nothing to help Rachel get over her. She couldn't place whatever the feelings were yet, but she wanted them to go away. Quinn was a jerk to her now. The sooner she smothered the flame the better.

By the time they entered high school, Quinn was quite above Rachel in every way. The brunette was perpetually tiny, while the blonde seemed to have grown still. However, everyone once in a while, the two would be the only ones in the bathroom and pieces of their past slipped into their current situations.

It was their first day as freshmen, and Rachel was a little nervous, if she were being honest, She went to the bathroom to freshen up when she found Quinn reapplying her make-up. It was smudged, almost like she had been crying, expect Quinn Fabray doesn't cry.

"Quinn?" Rachel had asked. "Are you okay? Were you crying?"

"Don't touch me, man-hands," she spit back. "Of course I wasn't crying. I don't cry."

"It's okay to cry. I cry."

"I'm the last person you would need to tell that to," she retorted. "I've seen you cry." Quinn quickly shifted her frown into a pucker, erasing their past from her mind.

"I-I… Right. But it's still alright to cry sometimes." Rachel approached and set a hand on Quinn's shoulder. The blonde froze.

"Rachel," she breathed.

"There's the Quinn I know." Rachel couldn't keep the pain out of her voice, but she hoped Quinn hadn't noticed.

Quinn noticed. "Rach..." The blonde shifted, staring down into Rachel's doe-eyes, chewing her lip thoughtfully. She didn't say anything else, just pulled the smaller girl in for a hug. Rachel returned the embrace, holding on as tight as she could.

"I have to go," Quinn mumbled. She disentangled herself from the brunette and grabbed her bag, making a bolt for the door.

"Don't go," Rachel pleaded, just loud enough for Quinn to catch it. The girl had grabbed a hold of Quinn's wrist. "Please."

Quinn shook her head and pried Rachel's fingers off her skin, skittering out of the bathroom in a hurry.

Rachel crossed her arms and went on with her day, lulled by the dull numb left by Quinn's body against hers.

Halfway through the year, Rachel made her final decision to not join the glee club at the school. Mr. Ryerson was creepy beyond belief, and she didn't want to put herself into that position. Quinn had determined that she would be a cheerleader.

The next year began, and Quinn was positioned as head cheerleader. Mr. Ryerson had been fired early on, and with a new glee club instructor, Rachel felt comfortable trying out of the club.

She hurried to the sign-up sheet and signed her name with ease, plopping a gold star-shaped sticker at the end of her name. Rachel turned away from the sign-up sheet triumphantly, only to have a jock throw a slushie in her face. She blinked, not believing what had happened and partially numb from the ice cold temperature her body was inevitably dropping to. Her eyes stung with tears that she stopped from falling.

She turned around slowly to find numerous students snickering shamelessly. It didn't take long to pick out Quinn from the crowd. Heartbroken and cold, Rachel shuffled to the Nurse's office in hopes of retrieving a change of clothes. The school day hadn't even begun yet, and she was already the laughing stock of the school.

With a heavy heart and an odd-fitting outfit, Rachel stepped carefully towards her first hour with her head down. Maybe if she made herself as small as possible (which really wasn't that hard considering her size), people would pay her no attention. It seemed to work because she made it to her English class slushie-free.

Up on the board was a seating chart, with no particular order or pattern to it. Rachel assumed the teacher had used the randomized seating feature. She scanned it for her name and found it to be right next to Quinn's, who had already located her seat. The brunette swallowed hard and approached what was meant to be her seat. Fear settled in quickly, and the small girl averted her eyes so as not to draw attention to herself, especially any attention from Quinn. Unfortunately, Rachel caught the way the blonde's eyelids fluttered as she bit back a chuckle. The action caused the other girl to fight tears for the second time that day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the words.

**A/N:** The song in this chapter is Gravity by Sara Bareilles. Also, I may allude to Puck's drunken party, but I have decided to deviate from the Glee storyline a bit and keep Quinn celebate. Enjoy and review!

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Three weeks into the school year and a spot in the glee club later, Rachel and Quinn seemed to be running into each other much more often than they had for a long time. The brunette constantly spoke with Finn, Quinn's boyfriend, for he was the male lead in the glee club. The front was easy to maintain, but she only bothered him to get to Quinn. She tried to convince herself it was because she liked Finn, but the gut-wrenching feeling that came with Quinn's arrival always told her otherwise.

She was speaking to Finn in the hallway, and she just knew that Quinn was coming. It was a premonition that never failed her. It took some time to function while it was in effect; however, Rachel grew into seeing Quinn every day, thus making it much easier to control her odd feelings.

"Hi, Finn. RuPaul."

Rachel averted her eyes to let the two speak. She wasn't wanted, and Quinn made that painfully clear. Finn, meanwhile, gave her his goofy smile in greeting.

"What are you doing talking to her?" If looks could kill, Rachel was pretty sure Finn would be the late Finn Hudson at the mercy of Quinn's glares.

He froze, forcing Rachel to speak up. "Science project. We're partners."

For knowing Quinn for so long, Rachel found it odd that she couldn't tell whether Quinn bought it or not. She knew that their thin line of connection was becoming less and less as time wore on. She figured that the blonde ignored her to make sure that happened faster.

"Christ Crusaders tonight at five. My house." Quinn gave Rachel a gaze that wasn't nearly as harsh as the brunette expected and shot Finn a last look before taking off after his "Sounds great."

Rachel finished her conversation with Finn and then ventured after Quinn. It was no surprise to find her in the girls' bathroom. It was like Rachel possessed Quinn-dar.

"Quinn?"

"What?" Quinn shifted to face the small girl, slightly quirking an eyebrow.

"What's Christ Crusaders?"

"It's the name of the Celibacy Club here. I'm the president." Rachel couldn't decipher Quinn's accompanying expression.

Rachel placed her hands on the wall behind her, palms down, one on top of the other, and leaned back onto them. "Abstinence is good."

"Yeah."

"Can I—"

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask!"

"You were going to ask if you could join. And the answer is no. I'm putting my foot down, Rachel."

"Why?"

"It's one thing to harass my boyfriend," Quinn stepped closer to Rachel, placing her hands on the brunette's shoulders, "it's another to join a stupid club. You're already _in_ a stupid club. You don't need to join another."

Rachel wrapped her fingers around Quinn's wrists, looking up into her eyes. "Glee's not stupid, Quinn."

"Okay. It's not stupid. If I say Celibacy Club really is stupid will you please, please not join it?"

"I can't guarantee anything."

"Please."

"Why? I don't understand."

"Because I know what you're doing." Quinn hadn't actually the slightest clue as to the reason behind Rachel's need to be close to her, but she figured something was up, even if Rachel was only trying to regain her friendship, and Quinn felt a need to put a stop to it.

Rachel lowered her eyes to the tile floor below her.

"Hey," Quinn spoke softly. "Look at me."

Rachel lifted her head reluctantly.

"'Atta girl."

"You can't stop me from joining, you know."

"I know." Quinn's eyes lingered on Rachel's, a thoughtful smile gracing her features. "But I can try."

"I'm my own person. I don't need you."

"You're strong that way." Quinn lowered her hands to Rachel's waist, settling them there comfortably.

"I'm learning..."

"I remember when you used to need me." The blonde squeezed Rachel's hips gently, causing Rachel to frown. Quinn wished things could be normal again, at least as average as they used to be. She longed for the days when being Rachel's savior didn't come with ambiguous strings attached.

"Quinn," Rachel warned. She dreaded going back to those years so long ago.

"Sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up." Quinn tugged the petite brunette closer until they were pressed against each other.

"You're confusing," Rachel whispered against Quinn's chest. "You go around in circles and I don't know what I'm supposed to do. How am I supposed to respond to this?"

"No one will know." Quinn's voice softly faded, leaving the brunette confused as to what the tall girl meant.

Silence filled the bathroom, a hint of _something_ mixing with it. Rachel felt what could only be described as a strange buzz circulating through the air. Quinn bit her lip and leaned a bit closer to Rachel's face, studying her intensely. Rachel closed the distance without hesitation, leaving only inches between their lips. Their breaths mingled, sending jolts down both girls' spines. Quinn paused in thought before she moved away momentarily, still not saying a word.

Rachel decided to try to shake off the odd butterflies inside and pick up where she had left off. "...And you switch your moods constantly. I never know what to expect. I can't do this all over again, Quinn!"

"What? Do what again, exactly?"

Rachel pursed her lips, squeezing her eyes shut momentarily. "Nothing. N-Nevermind."

"Now I don't understand."

"Forget it, okay?"

"Fine," Quinn snapped bitterly.

"You wouldn't like it."

The taller girl jerked Rachel tighter against her. "You don't know that," she practically growled.

"Yes, I do!" She pushed against Quinn's arms weakly, not willing to leave the embrace.

The blonde let go abruptly, the momentum from Rachel's rebuttal causing the brunette to hit the wall. There wasn't much space between her and the wall in the first place, but it hurt nonetheless. She covered her eyes as she felt the tears coming on, not wanting Quinn to see her in tears.

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit," Quinn cursed under her breath, physically debating comforting the girl. She didn't want to upset Rachel more.

"Quinn! Language."

Quinn furrowed her brow, mentally reprimanding herself for forgetting about Rachel's disdain for foul language. "I'm sorry, Rach... I—"

"Don't. Please, just, don't try to fix it."

"Can I hug or something?"

"No. Just go away Quinn."

Quinn obeyed.

Two days later, Quinn still couldn't get a hold of Rachel. They never exchanged phone numbers, so she had no way to speak to her outside of school. Rachel was gone one of the two days as well, making it even more difficult to have a conversation. She decided to stand outside Rachel's locker and simply wait. She would have to show up at some point.

It didn't take long until she did. Rachel saw Quinn from where she came from down the hallway and quickly looked for an escape. She eventually braced herself for what was to come, walking up to her locker hesitantly.

"Can we talk?"

"I have nothing to say to you." Rachel knew she was lying to herself. She had so much she wanted to say to Quinn, so much she wanted to _express_, but she couldn't do it if she was willing to salvage whatever was left of their friendship.

"Please."

Rachel grabbed her book and shut her locker. She stood still but shook her head.

"Come here." Quinn took Rachel's wrist in her hand and lea them into the first floor bathroom that no one ever used.

"What do you want, Quinn? Your reputation is dropping simply by standing here with me."

"What happened yesterday?" Quinn folded her arms as she took a powerful stance.

"I'm fairly positive you are aware of what happened."

"I mean when neither of us said anything and we just kind of... I-I don't know. We just _looked_ at each other."

Rachel felt as if she was going to vomit she was so frazzled. "I don't know what you're talking about. Are we not even allowed to look at each other anymore?"

"What are you going on about? You didn't feel anything then? Nothing at all?"

"Why, did you?"

"No! I'm—"

"Then no. I didn't feel anything. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to be late for English. I suggest you move along sooner rather than later as well." Rachel offered the blonde a smile before exiting.

"Right." Quinn shifted her weight between her feet. What if she had said she did feel something? Would Rachel have said something different? She frowned at a nearby mirror, resisting the urge to make it feel all the emotions she was too cowardly to convey.

Rachel was conflicted and heartbroken, a horrible combination. As much as she tried to remind herself that Quinn shouldn't dominate her life or her thoughts, it still happened. Quinn was her world since the day she showed her kindness when no one else would. So Rachel took her free day from Glee and spent it in the auditorium. She was going to deal with this the way she knew how—through song. She hit the 'play' button her iPod, which was connected to her speakers.

The song began softly and Rachel did, too. _"Something always brings me back to you. It never takes too long. No matter what I say or do, I still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone."_

The door to the auditorium opened silently as someone entered. They took a seat in the dark, back row. Rachel was oblivious.

"_You hold me without touch. You keep me without chains. I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your rain. Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity. Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be. But you're onto me and all over me."_ Rachel struggled to sing through her tears, taking a moment to suck them in and continue on. _"You loved me 'cause I'm fragile. When I thought that I was strong. But you touch me for a little while, and all my fragile strength is gone..."_

Quinn, immersed in darkness in the auditorium, sniffled quietly as she bit her knuckle so that she wouldn't interrupt Rachel's song with her sobs.

"_Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity. Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be. But you're on to me and all over me. I live here on my knees as I try to make you see that you're everything I think I need, here on the ground. But you're neither friend,"_ Rachel sniffled and wipe at her eyes, _"nor foe, though I can't seem to let you go."_

Quinn frowned more, feeling envy rise in her for whoever Rachel was intending that song to be for. Anger mixed in with the jealousy for the person who Rachel cared for so much that it made her cry that hard.

"_The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down. You're keeping me down, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're onto me, onto me and all over. Something always brings me back to you. It never takes too long."_ Rachel finished the song and stood quietly on the stage, hitting pause on her iPod and then turning it off.

Quinn stood to leave when she tripped, making an obnoxious noise. She realized she had just given herself away. The blonde didn't even bother to stand; it wasn't like she was in the right mindset to be trusted anyway.

"W-Who's there?"

"Relax, Rachel."

"Quinn, _what_ are you doing here? Or better yet, where are you?" She squinted and peered into the darkness in hopes of finding the girl.

Quinn sighed and pushed herself up off the ground, dragging her body down the steps to greet Rachel. "Right here," she muttered as she stepped onto the stage.

Rachel instinctively stepped backwards. "What are you doing here?"

"I came in here to... think. Kinda. But you came in and, well, the rest is h-history."

"I can't believe you invaded my privacy like that."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I was here first!"

"You could have left! I poured my heart and soul into that song!" Her eyes welled up with tears. "You don't understand, Quinn. You'll never understand."

"You know what? Maybe I won't. But it won't do me any good if you never even try to help me get it."

"I can't! I'm not going to do this, Quinn!"

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You know, I liked you a lot better when you didn't do so much useless talking." Quinn spun on her heel and stormed out of the auditorium, slamming the door shut behind her.

Rachel sat on the edge of the stage, sad and alone. She very nearly wished Quinn would come back, but her last comment had stung. The brunette only wanted to please Quinn. All she wanted was her love. And it seemed the blonde hadn't even known that the song was completely for her.

Later on that day, Quinn called Finn. She felt guilty about being so absorbed with Rachel that she hadn't talked to him for a while.

"Finn?"

"Quinn! Hey! What's up?"

"I'm sorry about kind of avoiding you."

"Oh, yeah. It's cool. It's nice you apologized and stuff."

"I was just taking some time away to think." Quinn lay back on her bed, recalling the good day or so she'd been thinking over things that were happening in her life.

Time had flown by recently, and she had nursed a hangover a week before from some crazy, drunken party at Puck's that she regretted. Rachel was the biggest subject on her mind however.

Rachel was sweet when she was being herself. The blonde reviewed the fact that whenever Rachel became hostile, it was usually Quinn's fault. She wasn't sure why she had such a major effect on Rachel, even given their history together.

"Quinn!"

"Y-Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I-I'm sorry, Finn, but I still need to think over a few things. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

"Bye." Quinn ended the call and tossed her cell phone aside carelessly.

Finn was genuinely kind, but she couldn't find it in her heart to love him. She thought she _should_ be in love with the quarterback, but she wasn't. Rachel took over her thoughts more than Finn did, and that scared her. She wasn't supposed to do or even _imagine_ doing half the things she pictured herself doing with or to Rachel. That may be what frightened her most. The thoughts she couldn't control were the most potent but also the more terrifying of them all. That's not to say she disliked what she thought about. She admittedly enjoyed it, but she knew it was wrong to think about. If you were a girl, you just weren't supposed to do those things with another girl. That was that.

And maybe that was the barrier Quinn had been hiding behind her whole life.

Rachel and Quinn weren't friends. The brunette was falling for the blonde hard and fast, if she hadn't hit rock bottom already. No one had the slightest idea. Quinn had some kind of unsorted feelings for Rachel, and she was starting to put her guard up constantly. Nobody knew of this, not even Quinn unless she was to sit and think about it long and hard. She knew her thoughts were inappropriate, but there are books that assure people that same-sex fantasies were nothing to worry about and were simply a phase. Quinn would let them go, and everything would go back to normal. That was her plan.

"Finn." Quinn strode up towards her abnormally tall boyfriend. "Why were you talking to Treasure Trail?"

"We're the leads in Glee, I can't just let us suck because you're getting all jealous over it."

"I am not _jealous_." _Liar,_ Quinn thought angrily at herself, noting the defensive tone a bit too late.

"Well cool. 'Cause you shouldn't be."

"Good." Quinn bit her lip, mouth slightly open, as she reviewed what she was going to say. Thinking better of it, she withdrew into herself. With a brief nod, and a thoughtful look, Quinn left Finn alone.

In the midst of their time apart, Quinn had joined Glee club for Sue's own devious purposes, but the girls did not talk until a month after Quinn had seen Rachel in the auditorium.

Rachel was the first one in the room after school, of course. Quinn was the next to arrive, and Brittany and Santana followed moments after. Soon everyone was in their seats, and the club had not started. Mr. Schuester was predictably late.

Quinn hadn't noticed Rachel's attempts to reach a high shelf until the brunette made an audible squeak. The blonde looked up to find Finn handing the item she had wanted to her, sparking anger in the blonde. Her hand twitched with the urge to act out simply to spite Finn because that's why she was upset, wasn't it? It couldn't be because she had wanted to be the one who helped Rachel retrieve the lyric book. No. She'd spent her childhood helping the brunette; it wasn't an instinct anymore. But still, she couldn't shake the feeling of... envy, was it? It was not every day that Quinn Fabray had anything to be jealous of.

Rachel gave Finn a genuine smile for his help and returned to her seat next to him. Finn was uncomfortably sandwiched in between Quinn and Rachel. He found it odd that Quinn didn't want to touch him or talk to him or (so it seemed) even acknowledge his existence.

"Quinn, are you feeling okay?"

"God, Finn, just shut _up_!" She spit the words out in a whisper in order to avoid the attention of a public argument. "You're so stupid and inconsiderate sometimes!"

"What are you—"

"Don't think I didn't see the way you helped Rach—Man-hands! M-Man-hands."

"I didn't think it'd make you upset. She just couldn't reach it."

"Well it did."

"Sorry."

"Do me a favor and don't talk me right now."

As the following silence settled between them, Quinn felt bad about yelling at Finn. It wasn't his fault she was inexplicably jealous of him. Of _him._ The realization wasn't easy to come to terms with. So she had a little more than a simple fascination with Rachel. It wasn't that concerning; it happens to most everyone at least once in their life, after all. Quinn decided that was a reasonable explanation and let the train of thoughts go for the time being.

Glee club ended and Finn confronted Rachel afterward.

"Rachel!" Finn called out to the girl before she left the building.

She turned to face him with a pleasant smile. "Yes, Finn?" She walked closer, meeting him halfway.

"I think Quinn's jealous," he said softly.

She pursed her lips as she was further reminded of the fact that Quinn was straight and had a boyfriend. "Why is that? I don't see any reason for her to be. We haven't done anything wrong."

"I don't know. She got all mad at me for helping you get the sheet music down before Mr. Schue showed up."

"I'm sorry, Finn. You needn't help me anymore, if that's what it takes to save your relationship."

"I wanna be your friend, though, Rachel."

Rachel gave him a gentle smile and a nod. "I know. Quinn's just difficult sometimes."

"Yeah, but I mean, she's really good underneath all of that toughness, I think. Everyone gets jealous."

"Don't worry, I understand you one hundred percent. I know the endless bounds of jealousy, pain, and regret firsthand." Contradicting her dark words, Rachel gave him a bright smile to assure the boy that she was alright.

Finn believed she was sincere and smiled crookedly as he left the building for the day.

Rachel wandered aimlessly in the empty school hallways for a bit before deciding to freshen up in a bathroom. She planned to head home directly afterwards. As the brunette twisted the faucet handle to turn the water on, the flush of a toilet resounded in the small space. She thought it was peculiar that a Glee club member was still at school, but she continued washing her hands.

Quinn stepped out of the stall and rolled her eyes upon seeing Rachel. "Really?" She darted her eyes to the ceiling as she muttered, "God, do you hate me?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the words.

**A/N:** I'm not quite sure if I like this chapter, though it had it's moments, but that's not for me to decide. Bear with me as I develop them and their struggles :) Enjoy!

* * *

Quinn was a master at putting up a front.

Rachel's face drooped at the blonde's obvious displeasure of merely seeing her. She bit her lip, nearly drawing blood as she prayed that her eyes would remain dry.

Quinn was at the sink one away from Rachel in a moment, proceeding to wash her hands. Rachel herself had finished and shut off the water, but her hands clutched the porcelain while she mentally steeled herself through her reflection in the mirror. Whatever Quinn was going to dish out, she was going to overcome it.

Rachel softly hummed to herself, "_You are the one_."

The blonde paused, her heart speeding up in an instant. "What?" Her cold tone betrayed the warm fluttering she felt inside.

"Nothing."

"Hm." Quinn turned the handle to turn off the stream of water. She passed by Rachel to reach the air dryer.

The small brunette twisted at just the right moment to catch Quinn by the arm. The girl's arms rose instinctively to bat the hand away, but she stopped when she saw the familiar face of a child who could never avoid a beating. The tall girl slowly lowered her arm, refusing to purposely inflict any pain on Rachel. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them again, meeting brown ones in the act.

"What?" Quinn's question came out rough and husky.

Rachel was perplexed by the odd darkness that took over Quinn's eyes, not allowing for much hazel to be shown. "I—" Her eyes flitted to the ground. "I don't know."

"Way to waste my time," she muttered.

"I'm not keeping you here," Rachel quietly uttered. It was true; the girl's hold was very loose, and it turns out she didn't know what she wanted to say to the blonde in the first place.

Quinn's body stiffened with realization as she gently pried Rachel's fingers off of her bicep. "I'm not going to hurt you." She gripped Rachel's shoulder like she had the last time they had spoken alone in a bathroom. "I won't," she growled. "I-I _can't_."

"You're a very good actress, Quinn," Rachel said, offering a smile to the tall girl.

Quinn's expression morphed into that of near disgust at the miniature notice of how badly she's been treated her whole life. It seemed like the brunette believed everyone no matter what. The blonde dared to say that it was a major flaw, but the thought was gone just as quickly as it had come. Rachel had no flaws. "I'm not an actress. You are." She removed her hands from the girl's body, almost trembling with uncertainty. She felt dirty for touching the girl. It felt like she was tainting a precious jewel, and she couldn't break Rachel after she had already been through more than anyone would wish upon a child.

What Quinn did since freshman year forward was wrong. She knew this. But habits were hard to break. And when that habit brought her to Rachel without fail, somehow it made her put off breaking it for that much longer. The twisted circumstances of their relationship strained both parties, but one continued on with defensively malicious intent.

"I am, but I'm not that accurate when I find myself in your presence..."

"What are you talking about?"

"You wouldn't like what I have to say."

"I'll never know if you never spit it out."

"I need you, Quinn. I've tried and I've tried and I can't get past this. I need you in my life, and you don't understand how _hard_ I'm trying to be strong and pretend that I don't rely on you. I wish I could leave you alone and not burden either of us with our past, letting you move on with your life and not worry about me, if you do at all. I'm trying to convince myself that I don't need you," tears trickled down her face at this point, "but let's face it. I've _always_ needed you."

Quinn looked away from the crying brunette, trying to pull her own thoughts together. She never intended on treating Rachel so poorly. "Come here."

Rachel didn't move an inch in either direction. She stood with her arms crossed, staring at the floor, her tears littering the tiles.

"I said come here." Quinn took a step forwards, wrapping her arms around Rachel carefully, making sure not to startle her.

Rachel's forehead rested on Quinn's shoulder as her crossed arms pressed into Quinn's torso. She refused to fall into another empty promise.

Quinn's barriers rose a bit in response to Rachel's walls being forced up to block her out. Her hands moved mechanically up and down Rachel's back, rubbing as they went. "Don't shut me out."

As always, the brunette's defenses fell away at Quinn's request. She slipped her arms around Quinn to return the embrace at last.

"Don't leave me," Rachel whispered.

Quinn stayed with her like that until Rachel decided she needed to go.

* * *

A week later, the school held a potluck with games, prizes, and a raffle. It was a free event, but the extra festivities like games cost money. Many suspected the cost was Sue's doing, but no one knew for sure. The Glee club was supposed to run the stands as an assignment, and Mr. Schue said they were welcome to play the games if they wanted.

Kurt and Mercedes had paired up right off the bat, followed by Brittany and Santana, naturally. Mike and Matt were inseparable, and Tina and Artie gravitated towards each other. Puck, having lost his shot at Santana, decided to pair up Finn. Unfortunately for Rachel, that is. The brunette had intended on being Finn's partner because he was kind, honest, and safe. She wouldn't have to worry about any backlash with him. However, the previous pairings left Quinn and Rachel to be together for the potluck. They couldn't change groups, so they reluctantly accepted their situation.

All the groups were assigned a different game. Rachel and Quinn were given Twister. The blonde found it completely stupid that Mr. Schuester chose that game because only little kids played it. Rachel hadn't said a word while Quinn complained, as the brunette actually enjoyed Twister.

Mr. Schue wouldn't budge, so the girls were stuck running the child's game. Only one family came to play throughout the duration of the event. By the end, Quinn was ready to pack up.

"I told him no one would play this. No one likes this game anymore."

Rachel sat in her plastic chair across from Quinn, looking down at her lap. "I like it."

Quinn turned towards Rachel's voice. "I—I'm... sorry?"

"It's alright. You don't have to apologize for anything, Quinn."

The blonde sighed quietly. She had _everything_ to apologize for. "Do you want to play?"

"What?" Rachel's blank face moved to gaze at the other girl.

"Would you like to play Twister?" Quinn stood to move towards where Rachel was sitting.

"I thought you didn't like it."

"I don't. Now, I'm going to ask you again. Do you want to play Twister with me?"

Rachel nodded in confirmation. Quinn laughed, "Okay then." She held out a hand for Rachel to grab onto. The small diva held it and the blonde lifted her off of the chair easily.

"We can't play without someone to spin."

"Yes, we can. I'll spin and play at the same time. It'll be fine."

"Okay."

"Right hand green." The girls bent down to reach the green circle, and so the game began.

The game went on without any problems until one point where the board was just a bit out of reach and she and Rachel were twisted up. Rachel's foot was in between Quinn's, and they were stuck reaching around each other for the other spots. Quinn leaned forward, careful not to push Rachel by accident, to spin the board.

The board was too far to get to without taking an extra leap. Quinn tried, but she failed, knocking herself and Rachel down in one fluid motion. The brunette landed on her back with a soft squeak. Quinn tumbled down on top of her. They landed in a compromising position, one of Quinn's legs in between Rachel's pair and their chests pressed against each other.

Rachel froze, not daring to move. Quinn lifted her body up enough to prop herself up, one hand on either side of Rachel's head. She blinked slowly, ignoring the loud beating in her ears. Was her heart really going that fast?

"Quinn—" Rachel breathed.

"Sorry. Are you okay?"

Rachel bit her lip from her position on the ground, effectively pinned to the dotted Twister mat. She nodded.

Quinn nodded in return, absently brushing some hair out of Rachel's face.

"Thank you," the girl murmured.

"You're welcome," Quinn replied just as gently.

"Are you alright, Quinn?"

The blonde responded with a yes, watching the way Rachel chewed on her lip. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Bite your lip." Quinn bit hers for example and emphasis.

"Why do _you_ do it?"

"I—" Quinn stuttered, not sure how to explain. "I asked you first."

Rachel lifted her arm for the first time since their collapse to tug on Quinn's ponytail lightly. "I bite my lip for the same reason that you do." Her hand traveled to run her fingers across the other girl's bottom lip.

Quinn was speechless, reveling in the feeling of Rachel's fingers on her lip. It was only then that she realized she hadn't stopped biting it after she had showed Rachel what she meant. But with Rachel touching her so tenderly, she didn't have the heart to stop.

"Rachel," Quinn spoke in a raspy voice, swallowing hard afterward. She didn't know why her voice sounded the way it did, nor was she aware of why she was concerned that the brunette might hear her heart, it was beating so loud.

"Yes?" The petite fingers moved away from the tall girl's face as they rested on the mat again.

Quinn frowned. "How do you know," she paused to shift her weight, pressing her leg against Rachel's center without realizing it. The brunette gasped at the contact, reflexively exerting pressure back onto the leg between hers. That's when Quinn had to bring herself back to the reality of their position on the ground.

She was quick to defend. "I-I didn't mean to that." Her eyes went wide with concern and shock.

Rachel's hooded eyes met Quinn's, causing both girls to bite their lips. "I know you didn't," the small girl started to say.

Quinn interrupted her with her outburst of, "Why are your eyes so dark?"

Rachel stared at her funny.

"Your eyes are brown, I-I know that. I mean why are they practically black? Mine don't look like that, do they?"

"They do." Rachel knew their eyes were dark with lust, a clear sign that Quinn was just as aroused as she was. But the brunette wasn't sure how she should tell the other girl. She shut her eyes in hopes of avoiding the explanation.

"Let me see your eyes."

Rachel opened them willingly. Quinn leaned in, oblivious to how close their faces were. "I'm not drugged," Rachel said as her eyes were inspected.

"Trust me, I didn't think you were." The cheerleader's breath mingled with Rachel, electrifying the already small space between their lips.

"Why do you say that?" Rachel's voice dropped to a whisper.

"You're too smart for that." Quinn gave the diva a genuine smile.

Rachel felt her face burst into a returning smile as her insides fluttered uncontrollably at the sight. What a beautiful woman Quinn Fabray had become.

Quinn looked away from the girl below her for a moment, composing herself. Her gaze landed to meet Rachel's again as an uneasy, nervous feeling settled over her. She was itching to show Rachel just how much she cared, but the fear of rejection held her back.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I'm surprised the club hasn't found us by now," Quinn lied.

"Oh. Yes, that's definitely strange." Rachel couldn't help but appear to disappointed at the answer. Maybe she was judging this situation wrong.

"What are _you_ thinking?"

Rachel wanted to say she was thinking about kissing Quinn oh so badly. She figured it was not appropriate given the blonde's relationship status, not to mention the fact that she was quite straight. Normally, she would do it anyway, claiming she has nothing to lose as it is. But when it came to Quinn, she was the brunette's everything, and Rachel had _everything_ to lose.

"S-Same thing as you."

"I can tell you're lying, Rachel. What's going through your head? Don't leave me hanging." Quinn rested her elbows on the mat to give her arms a break from supporting her. She leaned her head in the crook of Rachel's neck tiredly. Their position was somewhat exhaustive for Quinn, but the blonde didn't feel like letting go of the brunette below her.

Rachel breathed deeply, overwhelmed by the closeness of Quinn, yet she was painfully aware that her closest shot at something all night disappeared. When the tall girl lifted her head again to give Rachel a serious expression, the other girl felt her chance growing once more.

They gazed into each other's eyes in silence, Quinn's breath become heavier and more ragged as time went.

"Quinn," Rachel spoke softly, breaking the quiet.

"Rachel, I—"

The brunette shut her eyes tight and daringly closed the length of room between their lips. The kiss was tentative and tender, neither girl risking too much. Rachel's hands nestled in Quinn's hair as the blonde struggled to keep her upper body up. Usually she wouldn't mind collapsing, but she was very much enjoying the sweet kiss and didn't want to crush the petite girl under her. At last, they pulled apart for air.

Quinn blinked at Rachel slowly, her pupils blown. "Wow," she breathed under her breath.

Rachel had caught what she said. "Really?"

The blonde shifted to disentangle herself from the diva, sitting up afterward. The other girl followed suit. The brunette wrung her hands in her lap. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

If Quinn were to be honest, she expected Rachel to give some long-winded speech about her reasoning or something equally absurd. So when she sounded and looked just like a child, the tall girl was surprised.

"No. No, Rach, why would I be mad?" She scooted closer to the small girl, setting her hands on the diva's waist. She leaned on her knees in front of Rachel.

"I-I don't know," she muttered, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Oh God, don't cry, d-don't cry. I didn't mean to make you upset. I can go. Do you need me to go? What do you need? Just tell me."

"I need you," she mumbled, grabbing Quinn's wrists and setting them in her lap, playing quietly with the blonde's fingers.

"I...I'm not mad at you, okay?" Quinn had butterflies from the kiss, and she most certainly was not anything close to being even remotely mad. She almost felt complete.

Rachel nodded, warm tears hitting Quinn's hand.

"What's on your mind? If you don't tell me, I can't help you. And I _want_ to help you. I don't want to be cold-hearted anymore. Not to you."

"I care about you to the point that it hurts, Quinn. Do you know that?"

"I do now. I don't understand why caring about someone should hurt though."

"Well, I can only imagine that I startled you with that kiss I imposed upon you. And I'm sure you're disgusted and don't wish to speak to me ever again, and you don't talk with me at school anyway, so I'm aware that, by doing what I did, I'm going to lose you forever. That's quite terrifying and hurtful, if you ask me."

"Hold on. Back up. You kind of startled me, yeah, I'll give you that, but I didn't stop. So don't go putting yourself down when I could have stopped both it and you. But I'm not grossed out or disgusted or anything. I—I actually liked it, a lot."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes, I am. I'm positive, but we can't do this, okay?"

"Why not?" Rachel felt like her heart was being stomped on repeatedly.

"I have a boyfriend. I'm not gay. I can't just do a complete 180 because you want me to. Because we'll break up, and then where will I be? I'll have no one and nothing—no family, no friends, nothing."

"You have Glee, and you will always have me."

"Not if you hate me."

"I could never hate you." She shook her head as Quinn tried to reply. "I can't. I've tried."

"Why would you _try_ to hate me? ...I know I've been awful to you, but I don't hate you."

"I thought that maybe if I hated you then I could stop liking you as much as I do."

"Oh."

"Yet I ruin it like I just did, and you have absolutely no faith in any potential we may have."

"I'm dating Finn."

"Do you love him?"

"I—I... No, I don't love him."

"So, what exactly is the problem here? Besides your lack of faith in us."

"I'm _not_ gay. I—and I can't even say what I need to because it would hurt your feelings. But I don't want to be gay because I'm not. You're a lot of exceptions in my life, but this is one thing I'm not suddenly compromising on."

"You can be bisexual."

"Rachel! I'm not gay or bi or anything. I'm straight. I have a boyfriend. I like you, but I just got caught up in the moment, that's it. Okay?"

"O-Okay," Rachel reluctantly agreed. She sucked in a breath, tightening her grip on Quinn's hand.

"Rach," the blonde mumbled. "I screwed this up, didn't I?"

Rachel shook her head despite what was blatantly obvious. Quinn had been harsher than the brunette had expected. She'd practically showed the Cheerio everything she meant, how important she was to Rachel, but it backfired, it seemed.

"Now what?" Rachel whispered, "We go on acting like we don't know each other?"

"I don't know... I really don't know what to do." Quinn buried her face in her free hand in frustration.

"Don't do that." Rachel softly pried Quinn's hands from her face. "You are beautiful. Don't hide that."

Quinn slipped her hand out of Rachel's, feeling dread setting in at their actions. She was scared, and she motioned to the board as she stood quickly. "I have to go," she muttered as she made her exit.

Rachel sat on her knees for a few moments before covering her face with her hands and crying. It was a good ten minutes of despair before she was able to clean up their stand and head home with a heavy heart.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the words

**A/N:** I am SO remorseful that this is incredibly delayed. And shorter than the previous chapters. I had a difficult time with this chapter but alas, it's here! The song used in this chapter is Chasing Pavements by Adele. Enjoy and review :)

* * *

All contact between Rachel and Quinn had been abruptly cut off for two weeks, though it was unclear as to who initiated it. Their only encounters were through Finn's presence, and even then they didn't directly speak to each other.

A week later, Rachel approached Finn with a special request. "Finn, may I ask you something?"

"Sure, Rachel." He gave her a grin and he leaned against his locker.

"I was wondering if you would be willing to assist me in preparing a song that I plan on performing for the Glee club this Friday."

"Yeah! What sort of a duet did you have in mind?"

"Actually, I meant for this to be a solo—not that I don't appreciate your talent, because I do! I would just much rather sing this alone, as I have a multitude of feelings I would like to communicate."

The jock's brow knitted together a bit as he sifted through her long explanation. "So why do you need me to help you?"

"Well, I would be honored if you would be so kind as to accompany me with background vocals and some gentle dance moves."

"Oh. Yeah, of course! Just let me know what song you pick and when you want to practice." His face lit up and his dorky smile returned.

"Of course. Thank you, Finn."

"Anytime, Rach."

* * *

Rachel gazed at Quinn, the girl's head lowered and staring at the hands in her lap. The brunette hoped Quinn wouldn't think the song was for Finn.

"_I've made up my mind, don't need to think it over. If I'm wrong I am right, don't need to look no further."_

"_This ain't lust,_" Finn sang, watching Rachel with his words.

"_I know, this is love. But if I tell the world, I'll never say enough 'cause it was not said to you, and that's exactly what I need to do, if I end up with you."_ At this, Rachel swallowed hard, Quinn's eyes meeting her for the first time that day. She felt as if somebody had punched her square in the stomach, forcing all the air out of her lungs. She recovered quickly, continuing with the song as a stray tear threatened to roll down her cheek. She watched the way Quinn shifted her focus to Finn, leaving a lingering lump in her throat as she sang the next lines.

"_Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements, even if it leads nowhere? Or would it be a waste even if I knew my place? Should I leave it there? Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements? Even if it leads nowhere..."_

Finn carried out some varied, "oohs" and "aahs" for effect as they moved around the room slowly, imitating a low-key interpretive dance.

"_I build myself up and fly around in circles, waiting as my heart drops and my back begins to be tingle. Finally, could this be it?"_ The tone of Rachel's voice caused Quinn to look her in the eyes, wondering why the brunette was so insistent and the lyrics seemed to be so relevant to how she (had to admit) she felt every time Rachel was close to her.

Rachel stepped forward, singing the chorus as she swayed in front of Quinn without much thought.

"_Should I give up.. or should I just keep chasing pavements, even if it leads nowhere? Or would it be a waste, even if I knew my place... Should I leave it there, should I give up? Or should I just keep on chasing pavements? Should I just keep on chasing pavements?_

Finn launched into the chorus this time as Rachel sat in Puck's lap, the chair directly to Quinn's right, chiming in with Finn now and again. Quinn sat stiffly, staring straight ahead though her hands were balled up in her lap, clearly not liking Rachel's seating arrangement.

Applause erupted from the gleeks, and the petite diva gave them a smile, noticing that everyone gathered around her except for Quinn. Finn and the other members enveloped her in warmth, but Rachel bit her cheek brutally in order not to break down then and there. She had always known Quinn to be cold, but she never expected her to be heartless.

But what Rachel never saw was the tortured expression Quinn wore as she left the room in silent thought.

* * *

Quinn was absent from school the next day.

Rachel fished her phone out of her pocket the moment she arrived home. Still sitting in her car, she texted Finn.

**Is Quinn okay?**

Finn's reply came, _Idk. She wasnt at school._

**I am aware of that, hence why I am concerned.**

_Maybe she wasnt feeling good at the potluck. I think she's fine._

**She... she was well enough at the potluck.**

Rachel closed her phone with a click right as another message came in. She opened her phone to see the text was from a number she did not have in her contacts. She wasn't familiar with it either.

It read, _Rachel, stop bothering Finn. I'm fine._

**Quinn?**

_No, it's Santa Clause._

**That was as good a confirmation as any. Are you okay? ..You weren't at school today.**

_I was kinda sick. I guess, in a way, I'm okay._ Quinn's fingers hovered over the keyboard before sending the message. She couldn't tell Rachel it was all her fault that Quinn had stayed home. The blonde had told her mother she was sick, but really, she felt guilty and love-sick more than anything, especially after Rachel's performance the day before. She knew the whole thing was aimed at her, and the overwhelming pain was quite the bitch to deal with. The mere realization of her true emotions made her sick to her stomach, so her excuse wasn't total baloney.

**It doesn't seem like you're fine.**

_Geez, Berry, bold much?_

**I just care about you... a lot. I didn't—sorry.**

Quinn frowned at her phone. She didn't mean to be a jerk. It was just her instinctive method of denial and protection. _I should be the one apologizing._

**But you aren't, are you?** Rachel huffed and shut her phone, tossing it across the room. She didn't have the guts to break it, but she couldn't go back to the stress it brought about.

Quinn felt like she shouldn't reply. She didn't want to say sorry. Rachel had made a move on her, not the other way around. Part of her instantly fought back with the solid fact that the blonde had wanted it. "Damn it," she muttered, curling up in a ball, staring at her phone in hopes of some contact from Rachel.

* * *

Quinn woke up clutching her phone to her chest. Groggily, she flipped it open to find no sign of contact from Rachel. She rubbed at her eyes before anything would spill from them as she reluctantly dressed for the day.

"Stupid, Fabray. God, you're so stupid," she hissed at her reflection in the mirror. She gripped the counter and hung her head, staring at the sink without seeing it.

Quinn finished her make-up with distaste and ate her breakfast slowly as she was deep in thought. _How am I supposed to fix this? It's not even my fault. No, it is... It's all my fault. Why do I even care anyway?_

"I want Finn," she muttered to assure herself. "I like Finn. Finn's my boyfriend."

Still, Quinn bit her lip. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't believe her own words.

* * *

"Rachel?" Quinn emerged from around the corner of the near empty hallway. The blonde had made sure to arrive early to catch Rachel at a reasonably quiet time.

Rachel didn't turn away from her locker. She stared straight into the pink décor, answering with a simple, "Yes, Quinn?"

The taller girl glanced around then landed her eyes on the tiled floor. "What do you want me to do?"

"I'm not sure what you mean."

Quinn advanced so as not to be heard by the few people scattered in the hall. She sighed softly, "Rach, what are we doing?"

"Nothing."

"What are you doing then? Because one of us has sure as hell got an intention in all of this mess."

"Nothing is a mess, Quinn."

"I am. You are. We are. Everything is so screwed up, and I can't even tell where it started anymore."

"Well, I think I revealed my intentions very clearly at the potluck, Quinn. I believe it's no longer my choice."

"How do I fix it?"

"What needs to be fixed, exactly?"

"I don't know," Quinn mumbled, rummaging through her brain for some sort of answer. "How I treated you after... well, you know."

Rachel shook her head in disappointment. "I have to go, Quinn." She turned on her heel and headed toward anywhere that wasn't in front of Quinn.

The blonde's reflexes acted a little too late as she grasped at empty air in an attempt to stop the girl. "See you in Glee?" she called after the brunette.

Rachel turned, locating the sound of the voice and offered a half-hearted smile. "See you in Glee."

Quinn was left at the end of the hallway with her arms folded and her mouth wavering as she breathed deeply to avoid crying. Every time she tried to be the good girl and mend the tears with their relationship, she was the one torn further apart. One day she would find out how it's possible she could make consistent mistakes whenever she encountered Rachel.

* * *

Rachel was seated in Glee club for once, as opposed to her flipping through song lyrics or writing a song as she paced the room.

Santana walked in and was about to turn right back around when she noticed Rachel made no attempt to make her stay. "What, Man Hands, no complaining?"

"Hm?" She looked up to see Santana. "Oh. Santana. I didn't even know you came in."

"Okay, where is Rachel Berry and what did you do with her, you impostor?"

Rachel laughed lightly. "I hadn't the notion you cared, Miss Lopez."

"Eh. I'm kinda stuck with you whether I like it or not."

Rachel titled her head in confusion. "I thought we always had good amounts of distance in Glee Club. If you'd like, I could further it.."

Santana narrowed her eyes in thought, not malice. "She didn't tell you, did she?" she asked, realization dawning on the Latina.

"Who are you talking about?" As Rachel asked her question, a tall blonde female entered, alerting the brunette of her presence wordlessly. Rachel smiled politely at Quinn while her heart fluttered with every step the girl took.

Santana piped in with, "No one. I never said anything. For all you know I wasn't even here."

"But you're sitting right—"

"No I'm not." The Latina sat back in her chair, giving Quinn a hard look as she approached for reasons unknown to Rachel. All the brunette could observe was the small way Quinn's head dipped from the nonverbal reprimand.

"You better not have—" Quinn meekly threatened as she went to take a chair next to Rachel, shifting in the chair to meet Santana's glare.

"Calm down, Quinnie, she's as unaware as ever."

"Good." Quinn nodded with relief and was able to give Rachel a smile now that she was put at ease.

Finn entered soon after this brief exchange, and Rachel skittered over to greet him, quietly asking for a hug. He agreed and hugged her tightly, giving her the release she had been needing from someone, no matter who it really was.

"How are you?" he asked joyously, oblivious to any lingering tension in the room.

"I have to admit that I've been better," she said, resting her gaze on her hands as she twirled them aimlessly.

"What's wrong?" Finn was dimwitted and generally unobservant, but he could sense a problem. And Rachel definitely had a problem.

Rachel glanced behind her, finding Quinn sitting in her chair, laughing at something clever Santana had said. Happiness has seemed so absent for the both of them lately. The brunette could feel her heart swell slightly with the sight; Quinn always was prettiest when she was smiling. Finn followed her line of sight without Rachel noticing, leaning his head to the side as he watched Quinn put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter and the way Rachel turned back around with her lip worried between her teeth.

"That was about her, wasn't it?"

"What was?"

"The song... I thought you meant that for me."

"Yes, it was for her. So I'm sorry, Finn, but no it was not intended for you. Please don't inform her of any of my longing or whatever silly looks I get on my face from seeing her."

"I won't, Rach. But like, how long?" His question would be confusing in most cases, but Rachel was intuitive enough to pick up the meaning.

"As far back as my memory goes," she answered with a wistful sigh. "I'm incredibly sorry, Finn. I'm positive she won't break up with you anytime soon though. The odds are in your favor."

Finn nodded. He believed every word Rachel said, from her sincerity about how much she likes Quinn to the idea that he and Quinn will last for quite a bit longer. It was not the most ideal situation because the goofy boy had a heart that cared about Rachel but wanted to preserve his claim on Quinn, leaving him at a loss of what to do.

A moment later, Mr. Schuester walked in, saving Finn from any further explanation of his current complex. "Alright everyone, sit down," Schue addressed the room, straightening his tie as he took his spot front and center.

Rachel hurriedly found a seat, upset to find both chairs next to Quinn taken. "Now, I know you all have been without any real assignment for a while, so I thought we'd do something a little more.. _personal_ with it."

"Meaning?" Mercedes questioned, sane enough to know not everyone lives is Schuester's head with him.

"_Meaning,_ I want you all to find a song that expresses who you are, how you're feeling, or just something that resonates with you right now. We'll perform them next week."

"Wow, no Journey being forced down our throats for once," Kurt whispered while a few glee club members chuckled.

"I heard that, Kurt. But I think you guys could use a break. Everyone seems to be stressed about something, so I think this will be good for a lot of you." He smiled and nodded his head once before going into his small office to work on grading his Spanish classes' papers.

* * *

After school let out and Glee club finished, Rachel was the one to sniff out Quinn this time. She found the blonde at her locker, grabbing a few items before she left.

"Hello, Quinn," Rachel spoke softly, smiling with a hesitant kindness. She always worried so much about irritating everyone around her, especially the girl in front of her.

Quinn's features remained stoic when she was alerted to Rachel's presence, but her inside were doing this weird flipping thing that made it hard for her to focus. She never knew why she would get that way, though she was aware it only ever happened around Rachel. Maybe it's because they've known each other for so long…or something.

"Look, I know you must be mad at me right now for not listening to what you had to say earlier, but I—"

Quinn slammed her locker shut loudly, interrupting Rachel's apology of sorts with the noise. The blonde's hand gripped the handle tightly, turning her knuckles white from the deathly grip. "Stop it," she hissed. Stop trying to fix everything and apologize and just—" Quinn's face crinkled with her lack of word choice, one hand reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose as she sighed. "Just stop pretending and stop liking me and please leave me alone." With that, the tall girl spun around to leave, but she was pulled back by a small hand on her forearm.

"Excuse me, Quinn Fabray. I am not the one who confronted me this morning to try and do exactly what I also attempted to do just now. Don't be a hypocrite. And while you're at stop denying that this means nothing to you," she spit, growing with intensity as she neared the end of her spiel. "That song was for you, Quinn!"

"I know it was, Rachel! You don't give me enough goddamn credit to see that I am _trying_ here." Quinn knocked Rachel's arm away. "This is the very first time I've ever had to work at something before. And Rach," she cooed as she located Rachel's hand with her own, "I am trying so hard here."

"I—"

"I am working at this even though I keep screwing it up because..."

"Because why?" Rachel asked carefully, sensing Quinn need a little prompting.

"Because I _really_ need you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but words.

**A/N: **This is probably the last update for a while, unfortunately. I have a very hectic and busy summer ahead of me, so I really hope you guys like this and are able to hold out until the next chapter! Enjoy and don't forget to review :)

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Their last night together at the potluck was replaying itself in Rachel's mind endlessly as she tried to fall asleep. If anyone knew the benefits of a good night's rest, it was Rachel Berry. But it was clear her mind was not willing to let her relax tonight. However, after a long hour of restlessness, she was finally drifting off to sleep. Suddenly her phone rang and quickly all her hopes of sleeping were dashed. She read the bright screen when she grabbed her phone, squinting at the brightness in the dark. It was a number Rachel did not have saved in her phone, though she recalled seeing it before.

"...hello?" Rachel asked warily, her voice groggy from being idle for hours that night.

"Rachel?" The voice on the other end sounded distinctly female, but it was hard to identify the caller through the sound of tears and crying of sorts on the other end.

"Yes. May I ask who's calling me, and if said person is alright?"

"It's me," the girl said, her voice clearer as the female had evidently changed her voice so the choked up state wouldn't be as noticeable.

Rachel knew the voice now. She should have known from the first words spoken, but it didn't matter because now the brunette knew who she was talking to. "Hey, hey, shhh," she murmured softly to the phone. "Breathe. What happened, Quinn?"

Quinn shook her head and responded shakily. "Can you just come over?"

"I'll be right there."

* * *

Rachel hung up the phone and hurriedly slipped on some warmer wear over her pajamas. Her house was quiet, so she figured it would be an easy escape. Keys and her phone in her pocket, she would leave without an issue.

She slowly descended the stairs, only to find both her fathers awake in the living room and having a conversation. She frowned, squeezing her eyes shut in hopes that maybe they wouldn't see her frozen mid-step.

"Rachel, what are you doing up so late?" Her Dad asked this gently, honestly curious and concerned.

The brunette moved at last, body going limp and her eyes falling to the floor. "Quinn," she muttered.

"What was that?" her Daddy asked, lifting his head to his daughter.

"Quinn," Rachel repeated, louder and more confident this time, tilting her head up to match her fathers' looks.

"Honey, I'm telling you—"

"I know, Dad. But... I need this. We—" she trailed off, not yet decided on whether she wanted to tell her parents about the Twister-related happenings.

"Rachel? Come here, sweetie." Her father patted the seat across from them for her to sit down.

"What happened?" Her Dad asked.

"I kissed her." Rachel's eyes fell to her hands in her lap. "I really need to go, Daddy."

"You kissed her? She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"Not any more than usual, so no, not really. She kissed me back. And then I suppose you could say she turned anti-gay as her defense. Please listen to me though. I have to go. Right now."

"She can wait, I mean it's not like—"

"Dad, she has never once in my entire life called me before tonight. We have never exchanged numbers, but it seems somehow she found mine a while back. And now she called me. She was in hysterics. I can't simply let that go because I know she desperately needs me this instant."

"Okay. Be back tomorrow after school. We'll talk about this later."

"Thank you." Rachel shot her fathers a grateful half-smile before rushing out her front door.

* * *

She hopped into her car and sped to Quinn's house, impatiently tapping her fingers at each stoplight until it changed to green. Thank goodness Glee functions were almost always held at the Fabray home. It was much easier driving. Finally, she arrived and practically threw herself out of the vehicle. The petite brunette knocked hesitantly on the door, unsure of who would be awake.

The door was pulled open and standing there was a sniffly blonde mess, biting her lip and still crying. Rachel didn't need to be asked anything. She embraced Quinn warmly, holding her safely in her arms.

"I'm here," Rachel whispered soothingly. "Shh, I'm here, I'm here."

Quinn clung on tightly as her chest heaved, calming gradually. Neither of the girls wanted to let go, but one of them had to.

Rachel closed the door behind her and looked around carefully. "Is your mother here?"

"No. Weekend trip somewhere or other," she replied softly.

"Quinn.. I don't exactly know where your room is, though I'd be glad to escort you there if I did." Rachel held out her hand for the blonde to take.

Quinn intertwined their fingers absently, pulling Rachel alongside her as they made their way to the taller girl's room. Their grip was solid until they were inside the bedroom, when Quinn let go to curl up in her fluffy bed.

Rachel frowned as she followed, settling next to Quinn on the bed. It broke her heart to see Quinn this upset. She couldn't pressure the girl, but she was just as pained as the blonde was. Quinn's pain was Rachel's pain. There wasn't much differentiation between the two hurts. She reached out to sweetly brush a few locks of hair out of Quinn's face, tucking them gently behind the girl's ear. Her hand lingered there, thumb stroking Quinn's neck comfortingly without Rachel's realization. Quinn sniffled and wiped her cheeks before shifting to look up at Rachel weakly.

"Can you inform me as to what happened? You're not usually this vulnerable and upset, Quinn."

"I broke up with Finn," she sighed. The whole charade of involving Finn to save herself was getting exhausting. So she gave up, if only for her personal growth.

Rachel's heart fluttered at the words. The couple had broken up, and at Quinn's choice. Wait, then... "Why are you distraught? If you were the one who broke up with him, why is it that you're the one in such distress?" She knew maybe the words could have stung, but the blonde has been known to be unbelievably like steel when it came to her emotions.

Quinn half-shrugged, cluing Rachel into the fact that the blonde knew but wasn't ready to own up to the true cause. The brunette simply nodded, searching hazel eyes endlessly as the held each other's focus. As the length of the gaze progressed, Rachel could tell Quinn's eyes were watery, and she was on the brink of bursting out in tears. "I'm so sorry, Rachel," the girl mumbled faintly.

"Shh, come here."Rachel scooted lower to be on Quinn's level, pulling her close to the brunette's body. Quinn's head rested against Rachel's chest as she cried again. "You are quite the conundrum, Miss Fabray," she mused, running her fingers through blonde hair.

Quinn at last rose from the covers with a sniffle and sat up to face Rachel who also sat upright once more. Fair-skinned hands rested on Rachel's sides as the brunette observed the gradually drying tear marks on the other girl's cheeks.

"Is it alright if I provide my supposition in regard to the cause of your sadness?" Rachel asked meekly.

Quinn couldn't help but smile slightly at the way Rachel spoke in such formalities half the time but nodded in response to the question.

"I have to wonder if maybe.. you know he's not who you truly wish to be with?"

"Why would that make me upset then?"

"What if the person you actually desire is not what you're used to? It would stand to reason that fear or uncertainty could cause these symptoms, though that's not necessarily true. It's just—it's nothing. Just an idea." She dipped her head sheepishly, knowing it was probably obvious that she was grasping at her last straws of hope.

Quinn opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her face contorted oddly, seemingly in thought. She covered her face momentarily until she spoke. "Can we not talk about that? Just for tonight. Please, Rachel." The strain and level of complexity was apparent in the way Quinn's eyebrows were knitted and her eyes were wet again.

Rachel pursed her lips, aware of the complete avoidance of the question she posed. She nodded nonetheless.

Quinn scooted towards the petite female until the only course of action for Rachel was to wrap her arms around the blonde and hold her in the most assuring way possible. She had to know that with Rachel she was and always could be safe. Nothing would hurt her with Rachel. Rachel would never cause her any harm.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Rachel hesitantly asked, "Quinn?"

The blonde weakly lifted her head from the girl's shoulder to meet her eyes, as much of a reply as Quinn could give at the moment.

"Is there anything at all I can do for you?"

Quinn straightened up minutely after thinking the question over. She slipped her hand into Rachel's, pulling the girl softly to nudge her into movement. "I have something for you."

Rachel's heart fluttered at the easy way their hands fit together, willingly trailing behind the tall blonde, curious as ever. Quinn led them to her wooden desk in the corner of her room, letting go of the brunette's hand reluctantly. The tall girl fumbled around the papers scattered on the top of the desk to find a small key. She found it and withdrew it, sticking it into the keyhole of the drawer directly in front of her, the only one on the desk that required such extensive measures to open it.

"You know, this is the first time you broke up with Finn, instead of the other way around," Rachel noted quietly. "Not that that's a particularly good or bad thing, it's simply an observation." _Stemming from years of personal heartbreak every time you two ended up back with each other,_ she added silently.

Quinn ignored whatever Rachel had said, too absorbed in her current act to pay attention to anything else. Rachel glanced down casually, filling up her time by looking around the room aimlessly until Quinn procured what she was searching for. Upon catching a glimpse into the drawer, her eyes stayed glued to the contents inside. Slowly Quinn shuffled through a semi-large pile of miscellaneous memorabilia, flipping through pictures ranging from class photos to candids of Quinn herself. More often than not though, Rachel saw a recurring pattern visibly involved within the photos: herself. Memory upon memory of Rachel and Rachel and Quinn together, dating back to events the brunette had no recollection of. Years and years of the past were being called to the front of her brain, sparking distant memories of each instance that was represented with photographic evidence.

Rachel picked up her gaze, training its focus anywhere but the drawer. Only when she heard the 'click' of wood connecting with wood did she chance a look away from the wall.

Quinn was staring down at the bright red heart made out of construction paper in her hands. It was the kind where one would fold the paper in half and then cut the shape of half of a heart to make the full size when it was unfolded. Slowly the blonde turned it over to the front side where "To: Rachel" and "From: Quinn" was scribbled.

"I.." Quinn traced the letters written there for a moment. "Here." She looked up to give her a genuine, gentle smile as she held out the card to Rachel.

"What...? When did you make this?" Rachel was intrigued, too awed by the idea to read the insides just yet.

"6th grade. Before, well, before the Karofsky cursing incident you could say," she said, laughing coldly at the remembrance.

"Before you told me we could do this anymore. Before you broke my already fragile heart for what seemed to be the final time. Quinn, I had no idea how to put myself back together after you did that. Sure, I loved the safety you had provided me with just prior to your words, but that can't compensate for how badly I was hurting for who knows how long after you gave me the heave-ho out of your life."

"I know." Quinn's voice wavered when she spoke, biting her lip to hold back more tears. Gosh, she was really just a quivering mess tonight. "And I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry for that." And the way her emotional distress was reflected in her voice was enough to prove to Rachel that Quinn meant what she said, even if it was only potent in this moment in time.

"Should I read it now or would that be slightly inappropriate?"

"Well, I don't think I'd be giving it to you if I didn't want you to know what it said," she reminded, laughing lightly. "After all, that _is_ why it was locked up for years."

Rachel turned it face down, examining the full size from the back so as not to spoil what was written inside. "Quinn... You do know this is bigger than the one you gave to Finn way back when, right?"

A faint blush crept into Quinn's cheeks. "I know."

"Is that why you didn't give it to me then, instead of now?"

Quinn stepped forward and held Rachel's wrists in her hands, the blonde's warm breath intoxicating the brunette each time it graced her skin. "You're asking too many questions. Just read."

Rachel folded it again and twisted it to view the front. She was all too aware of Quinn's proximity and the hands clasping her wrists. The small girl opened it like this was her acceptance letter to Juilliard—it was that important to her.

It read: _Rachel. I wish we could hang out in front of the other kids. I'm sorry we can't. But I'm always going to stop those stupid kids. I'm not going to ever leave your side. I know we both kinda like Finn and I feel bad about that because you're my best friend, not him. You're my world and I don't really know why, but I want you to "Be Mine" on Valentine's Day today. But I know girls aren't supposed to do that. I'm supposed to be Finn's. It's kinda dumb. Please stay my friend though cause I need you more than you know._

"Of course, now I know Finn's not exactly who you're pining after, but I was young, give me a break," Quinn commented.

Rachel was sincerely touched by what the 6th grade Quinn had said about 6th grade her. It was simple, but it was cute and everything she'd wanted to hear and more. She smiled at the blonde. "Yeah, well it wouldn't have hurt for you to actually give me this when you planned to," she teased, pushing Quinn playfully with her shoulder.

"Oh yeah? And why's that?"

Rachel smirked and placed the card down. "For starters, I think I should have had some say in if I wanted to be yours in the first place," she told the blonde, stepping forward and pushing Quinn backwards toward the bed.

Quinn played into the light but electrified air, laughing as she couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. "Ah, but I said I was supposed to be Finn's." She allowed herself to be propelled towards a cushy oasis behind her, completely putting herself in Rachel's hands.

"Yes, but you also said that the idea that we weren't supposed to be each other's was kinda dumb. And Finn was pretty dumb, too." The back of Quinn's knees hit the bed, forcing her to sit down. Rachel settled on top of Quinn's lap, hands on the blonde's hips and still giggling.

"You always were ragging on Finn. Although I do have to admit, you made him seem pretty appealing whenever you tried to steal him from me."

"I _am_ an actress," Rachel retorted dramatically, tossing her hair behind her shoulder.

"True." Quinn paused, studying Rachel's brown orbs intently. "You didn't actually want him, right? Y-You _don't_ want him in reality. You would turn it down, right?" Quinn's eyebrows inched together as she laid out her fears and insecurities for the brunette without realizing it.

"Quinn, I am _straddling_ you, and all we're doing is talking about Finn."

"Please just answer the questions," Quinn whispered, barely audible.

"The answer is no." The response was quick and without any hesitation.

"Okay," Quinn breathed in relief, flopping backwards onto the cushiony bed, spreading her arms out above her.

Rachel crawled up the blonde's beautifully taught body, butterflies waging war in her stomach. She leaned over Quinn, cupping her cheek with one hand, thumb slowly stroking the smooth skin there. Quinn turned her head to make eye contact with Rachel, solidifying the brunette's deep feelings for the tall girl. Rachel's head descended so that she could rest her forehead on Quinn's.

"You're amazing," Rachel offered in awe. "Breathtaking, really."

Quinn saw the sincerity in those dark brown eyes, inhaled the hot air from Rachel's mouth that made Quinn's head fog. It cleared in the absence of such a drug, but the pull was still left. She reached up and tucked a lock of brown hair behind Rachel's ear, waiting and exhaling breathily before quickly bring her lips to Rachel's.

The kiss was well-paced and languid. It held a familiar feeling to it while enveloping the two girls in a shroud of ecstasy and safety. There was nothing beyond that kiss, that very moment. There were no parents, no worries, and no maybe's or should have's or could have's. There was Quinn and Rachel, united once again, no longer permanently divided in an act of bad judgment. Briefly Quinn thinks she should not have initiated this kiss, resorting back to her "this is wrong" defense. But the thought was gone as quickly as it had come.

The blonde contently pulled back, setting her head on the mattress, a smile etched into her face as she licked her lips. "Stay with me tonight."

"Anything. Anything for you," Rachel added, signifying her compliance. She dove back in for another kiss, not able to let a moment of this intimacy slip away.

Quinn tugged on Rachel's lip with her teeth, grinning. Next thing Rachel knew, Quinn's hair draped around her face like a curtain, making her realize the shift in positions as the tall girl sat up more to bask in Rachel's focus. "You're the beautiful one, you know."

"I disagree." Rachel turned her face away bashfully, averting her eyes.

"Sometimes you should listen to me, you know. Especially when I'm right."

"Mm," Rachel replied, letting Quinn know she was heard but not willingly accepting the words spoken.

"I mean it," Quinn retorted. Her tone conveyed complete seriousness.

Rachel held Quinn's eyes with her own in a moment of silence. "I know. I can tell," she finally murmured, smiling up at the blonde.

Content with the response, Quinn rolled off of Rachel and scrambled under the sheets, motioning for Rachel to do likewise. The brunette complied and was soon warm and wrapped up in Quinn's arms. For years she had dreamed about this, but no dream ever compared to the reality of it. The blonde's strong arms brought a feeling of absolute adoration, and Quinn's sweet, vanilla-like smell intoxicated Rachel as it surrounded her, pulling her deeper into the bliss of the moment.

The two stayed like that until Rachel fell asleep, surprising since Quinn was the one who'd been crying on and off all night. But Quinn found it adorable nonetheless and was completely happy to acquire some needed sleep with the small brunette snuggled up to her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Nothing but the words.

**A/N:** It's been about a year since I updated this fic... Wow. I never meant to abandon it, but I just could NOT figure out where I wanted it to go. School sure doesn't help, either. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy. Reviews make me smile!

* * *

Quinn had been fighting everything she had been feeling with the utmost strength she could muster ever since they were kids. She worked diligently on making Rachel feel less than what she was. Because, if someone was below her, Quinn didn't feel quite so bad. However, too many tears had been spilled over watching the brunette move on without Quinn. Watching Rachel exist and smile at everyone like the blonde was never really important, no matter what she did to the diva, hurt Quinn. It ignited an unsettling wave of guilt and need to fix whatever she did wrong. She had an insatiable urge to regain Rachel's attention. She wanted to be the one the smaller girl came running to when she cried, just like when they were younger. Except now it was Quinn who was desperate for Rachel when the waterworks began. But as Quinn woke up to a faceful of soft, brown locks and Rachel Berry nestled in her arms, she couldn't bring herself to care.

Quinn lay there, soaking up the moment as she watched the gentle rise and fall of Rachel's chest. She sighed, knowing this peaceful moment would be shaken into reality soon enough.

Rachel shifted in Quinn's arms, turning to face the blonde. "Good morning," she murmured, pecking the other girl's lips. She bit her lip afterwards, and the tall girl could see her wondering if that was allowed, if that was okay to do.

"Morning," Quinn responded cheerily. She kissed the brunette to stop her worrying, holding it longer than the other girl had. "Sleep well?"

Rachel grinned and nodded. "Very."

"One word? I think that's a first for Rachel Berry," the blonde mused teasingly.

"Don't ruin the moment," she chided harmlessly.

"'Kay," Quinn agreed.

Rachel smiled and breathed out happily, wiggling closer and tucking her head under Quinn's chin. She inhaled the girl's intoxicating smell and reveled in the comfort offered from being in her arms. All of a sudden, an alarm rang out loudly, startling Rachel. Quinn chuckled, wrapping the diva tighter in her grip to calm her down.

"Just my alarm," she cooed before shutting it off.

"On that note, I suppose we should start getting ready for school, huh?"

"Probably."

Neither girl moved.

* * *

It was difficult convincing themselves that school was worth attending that morning, but Rachel insisted her perfect record couldn't be put in jeopardy. Quinn had only laughed and agreed to go to school, too. She was willing to suffer Sue Sylvester's wrath for being absent if that was what it cost to spend a carefree day with Rachel. But if the diva wanted to go to school, Quinn would go, too.

Quinn blinked blearily a few times to stay awake while her English teacher rambled on about... well, she'd forgotten what it was by this point. She was pretty sure she actually fell asleep somewhere in there. In front of her, Rachel was furiously scribbling notes, nodding and hanging on every word Ms. Smith said. How she could manage to find joy in the most boring of lectures, Quinn would never know.

The bell rang loudly and the room cleared out quickly. Rachel finished what she was writing before she shut her notebook, gathering her things up and leaving the classroom. She paused at the doorway and turned, leaning against the doorframe and watching Quinn slowly grab her stuff like it was _such a pain._

"You're an odd one, Ms. Fabray," Rachel quipped from her spot.

Quinn rolled her eyes dramatically. She caught up to Rachel and they walked down the hall quietly.

"You weren't obliged to come to school today, Quinn. You could have easily stayed home and rested."

"I had no choice."

"Of course you did. You always have a choice."

"Mm, but what if I didn't come? Then how could I protect you from all those boys who want to steal you from me?" Quinn bumped her hip against Rachel's playfully.

Rachel slowed and then stopped. Quinn, a few paces ahead, turned around with a questioning look. "Does that mean I'm yours?"

Quinn's eyes widened and darted around nervously. "I—uhm.. I have to get to Chemistry." With that, Quinn took off for her next class.

Rachel's eyes welled up as she watched Quinn go. She was so close. That was such a typical Rachel Berry move, and the girl wouldn't stop beating herself up for it. As students started observing her, alone and crying, Rachel hurriedly left to find an escape. Just like when she was younger, the small brunette wept in the bathroom, wishing Quinn was there the way she used to be.

* * *

It was time for Glee, and Rachel was staring anxiously up at the clock. She was the first one in the room as per usual, but her stomach was churning. She couldn't quit worrying over how she and Quinn would act during Glee. She knew she wouldn't be able to act like the blonde didn't matter to her because after last night there was no hope for that anymore. She just desperately wanted to take back what she said, to say sorry, to kiss Quinn until she can't breathe, _something_. Not seeing the blonde girl was driving her crazy enough as it was.

Unbeknownst to Rachel, Quinn was ambling around outside of the choir room. She knew Rachel was the only one inside, but she was too scared to go in. How was it that the seemingly unshakable Head Cheerio was quivering because she was too much of a coward to enter a room? She groaned and bit her lip as she moved. She had a strong urge to go in there and if she—

Her thoughts stopped when she realized her hand had just yanked open the door. _Oh._ Well. No going back now. She adjusted her stature and stepped into the room, hoping her presence commanded it like she tried to get it to.

Rachel lifted her head to see who had come in. "Quinn," she breathed.

"Hey," the blonde whispered, her mind and body going numb.

Rachel focused on steadying her breathing for a moment until she could will herself to move towards Quinn. "What are you doing here?"

"Glee." Quinn carefully eyed every step forward Rachel took, fearing the inevitable closeness.

"Oh. I just... You don't usually.. so I thought—" Suddenly Quinn's instincts had kicked in and taken over, cutting off Rachel with a searing kiss.

Simultaneously the girls closed the gap between them, Quinn's hand finding the back of Rachel's neck while Rachel's grasped the blonde's shirt tightly. The girls panted into each other's mouths as they lost their breath, trying to hold on to this moment and not let go. Quinn moaned as the brunette bit her bottom lip. At the same time, she snapped back into reality, hesitantly breaking the kiss.

"I'm so sorry, Rachel."

Rachel shook her head. "It's okay. You're here now." Quinn nodded at that.

Quinn looped her arms around Rachel's neck; the small girl wrapped her own arms around the blonde's midsection. Smiles crossed their features and Quinn leaned down to steal one more kiss.

Rachel smiled bashfully, biting her lip with a noticeable tint to her cheeks. The door to the choir room clicked shut behind them, causing Rachel to look away from Quinn and towards the door. Quinn turned, too, and they both gasped at the boy standing in the doorway.

Finn stared wide-eyed at the pair, tightening his grip on his backpack strap. He glanced around and then his eyes slid back to the girls as if not believing what he had witnessed.

Silence fell over the room. Quinn returned her attention to Rachel for a moment before bolting out the door with what seemed to be an apologetic look. Finn opened his mouth to speak, but he wisely closed it when Quinn rushed past him.

"Rachel, what—"

"Nothing," she stated flatly. She suppressed a groan and focused instead on preparing for Glee club before it began.

Finn nodded awkwardly as the brunette flitted around, looking like she was ready to cry. He stood in the doorway, debating what to do, before he backed out of the doorway to go follow Quinn.

Rachel sat on the piano bench after Finn inevitably left. She wouldn't cry. She was not about to let Quinn have that power over her _again_. The diva was honestly lost. They would be doing so well, taking steps in the right direction, and then Quinn would bolt. She couldn't face it; she had to run. _God_ forbid someone see her vulnerable. It was growing to be extremely frustrating. Rachel loved the blonde too much to give up, but it was exhausting to love her at this point. Something had to give.

* * *

Finn leaned against the wall by the girls' bathroom. He knew Quinn was in there, but just didn't know if it was okay to waltz in there, being a boy and all.

He took in the empty halls and decided he might as well. He didn't go after her for nothing. Finn reached out and opened the door, poking his head in hesitantly. He saw her reflection in the mirror before her body.

"Quinn?"

"What?" she barked.

"What's going on?" he asked hesitantly.

"I don't know what you're talking about, moron."

"Rachel, Quinn. What's... What _is_ that?"

No response.

"Is that why you broke up with me?" Finn's voice did not convey betrayal, jealousy, or anger. He was simply curious. He still cared for her, after all.

Quinn dipped her head, suddenly finding the sink quite interesting. Finn had his answer.

"What are you _doing_? She looked like she was gonna cry."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" She practically screamed, glaring sharply at him.

"Make her happy. That's all she's ever wanted."

"I can't do that."

Finn shook his head. "Yeah you can. But you're so worried that you can't. You can't just leave her like that. You have to be there for her."

Quinn mulled over his words. Finn was right. He spoke simply and wasn't always super bright, but he understood people sometimes.

"You don't even know anything about us."

"Maybe. But I know you, and I know her. And if she makes you happy, and you make her happy, what's the problem?"

Quinn faltered, eyes glassing over. Finn was completely right.

"Does she make you happy, Quinn?"

The girl looked up into the mirror, meeting his eyes for the first time, and her tears began to drip down her cheeks. "Yes," she choked.

"Then do something about it. Rachel Berry can't wait forever."

Finn was right.

* * *

Quinn dragged herself into her house after Cheerios practice. It felt like any other day, down to her mom sitting on the couch, mouth slightly opened as if she wants to say something. It always snapped shut when Quinn just glared and left for her room.

But today the younger blonde simply stood in the doorway, one hand gripping the strap of her duffle bag. "_Yes?_"

"Sweetie, come sit."

Quinn pursed her lips but followed Judy's instructions. Once they were both seated, Judy moved a bit to face her daughter more fully.

"Quinnie... Are you alright?"

"Yeah, Mom. You know how practice is."

"I know, dear. I meant besides that. How are you faring lately?"

"Fine, I guess. Mom, I don't—"

"How's Finn?"

"What?"

"Finn, your boyfriend. How is he?"

"I.. I broke up with him, Mom." Quinn seemed to find her fingers in her lap really interesting, if the amount of staring at them she was doing was anything to go by.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry, I didn't—"

"You knew, Mom."

"Honey—"

"I didn't tell you, but I know you knew," Quinn snapped.

Reprimanded, Judy nodded slowly as she crafted her next words carefully. It was clear she was teetering on the edge of some kind of precipice, over something, but Judy didn't know what. "You two were so good together." Ignoring her daughter's steely gaze, she continued. "Why did you two break up?" Judy shifted her body towards Quinn and placed a comforting hand on her daughter's leg.

"We're fine. Finn's a good guy. A little dumb, sometimes, but he can surprise you."

"Then what happened?"

"There's someone else." Quinn just shrugged and stared blankly at the floor.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry." Judy leaned in to hug Quinn, but the younger Fabray pushed her away.

"I'm not," she retorted, standing up from the couch. "Finn was nothing but faithful."

"Oh. You mean that you're the one who had a 'somebody else' involved."

Quinn shook her head at her mother's odd, beat-around-the-bush way of saying things. "Yes, Mom. I like someone else. A lot. Now. Can I go to my room?"

"Not until you tell me who this mystery man is," Judy teased. To Judy's surprise, Quinn groaned loudly, barely holding back a scream, and stormed up the stairs.

_She'll never understand._

* * *

It wasn't until after Cheerios practice that Quinn saw Rachel again. She had passed their old elementary school on the way home when something caught her eye. Undoubtedly, Rachel was sitting cross-legged in the sand around the jungle gym. Upon hearing Quinn's footsteps, Rachel had looked up. The blankness in the girl's face was upsetting. She appeared so... lost.

Quinn set her bag down at the gates and silently walked the playground of their old school. She continued until she was sitting on a familiar ledge high up on the jungle gym, her legs dangling off the edge.

"Hey," Quinn spoke gently, eyes trained on Rachel.

"Hi." Rachel didn't take her eyes off the sand.

"Been a long time since I've sat up here..." she recalled. The bricks of the building stared at her and it left her feeling like someone had deconstructed the buildings and piled all of the bricks on top of her chest. Memories flooded back to her.

"You haven't been up there since 6th grade, actually." It almost frightened Quinn, how detached Rachel's voice sounded.

"Wow. It's been a long time since then, hasn't it?"

"That was the year I lost you." Rachel now turned to face Quinn, head tilted to see her properly.

"You still have me," she choked out.

"Do I really? _You_ have _me_ one hundred percent. You always have. I was never _not_ yours, which is fairly sad when you think about it. But I'm not yours. Not fully. Not really."

"Rach—"

"Everything is wrong with that, Quinn."

Quinn clenched her jaw. "Come up here."

Rachel shook her head. She had never actually gone up to the high part of the jungle gym before. Not because it scared her but because that was Quinn's spot, and she used to worry that if she went up there then Quinn would stop appearing there.

Rachel laughed softly. "I used to think you were an angel. Sent to me from heaven. To protect me and love me."

"I—"

"Isn't it funny how much things can change? Sometimes I still can't honestly believe I ever felt that way about you."

"Don't spare my feelings or anything," Quinn mumbled.

"You never spared mine."

Quinn flinched. She _actually_ flinched. Then she gaped. And soon she was standing and seething with rage. "Are you serious? Are you really serious right now?" Quinn let out a quick shout of frustration before continuing. "God, Rachel, what was all that stuff I did when we were kids then? Every time I kicked some kid's ass because he made you cry. Yeah, I _clearly_ never cared about your feelings. I helped out and defended the girl half of our grade disliked. And for what? Nothing, apparently."

Rachel bit her lip and played with the sand in silence. Quinn was right. "You promised me."

"I know. And I'm so sorry. But stop treating me like we're still in 6th grade. I get that you're hurt, and I want to take that pain from you more than anything. But Rachel, look at me. Look at me!" When brown eyes bore into Quinn's at last, Quinn sighed in relief and pointed to where she stood. "I'm here. I'm right here. And I'm not going anywhere."

Rachel nodded as they both let Quinn's words sink in. Rachel knew she was holding on to past anger and had started to revert back to that scared little girl she used to be, only now an entirely new dimension of feelings was involved.

Quinn patted the spot next to her hopefully, nonverbally asking Rachel to join her on top of the jungle gym. It was time for Quinn to be given a break from the burden of harboring feelings she did her utmost to suppress, and she couldn't do that without Rachel. She didn't know how to do it alone. Rachel's eyes bore into Quinn's for a long moment before the brunette finally stood, choosing to ascend the steps and meet Quinn on top. A breathy sigh of relief escaped from Quinn as she too stood up, waiting for Rachel.

"Hi," Quinn murmured, stepping towards Rachel.

Rachel smiled softly. "Hi yourself."

Quinn slid her arms around Rachel's waist and leaned her forehead against Rachel's. "I'm sorry. For… for so much. For hurting you. For reacting the way I did when Finn saw us. For always running away when things get hard. Sometimes.." Quinn sighed. "Sometimes I'm scared, and I don't know how to deal with that, and so I pretend things are different because maybe if I think enough they will come true. And it's not even that I want anything different, but that it's the easy way out. But I don't want to be a coward anymore. I'm not ready to march in the gay parade and paint rainbow flags everywhere I go, but I want to show you that I'm worth it. Because when it comes to you, god, I hope I am."

Rachel grinned from ear to ear. She placed a kiss on the tip of Quinn's nose while settling her arms around Quinn's neck. "You are definitely worth it, Quinn." She kissed Quinn softly. "You have always been worth it."


End file.
